IFPRI Director General Jo Swinnen announced the appointment of two new Senior Directors, as part of a reorganization of IFPRI’s structure to match that of the CGIAR Systems transformation group.
Purnima Menon was named the Senior Director for Food and Nutrition Policy and Channing Arndt was named Senior Director for Systems Transformation Strategies.
“I am very excited to work with Purnima and Channing as we embark on a new chapter for IFPRI and build the new Systems Transformation Science Group,” said Swinnen. “Besides being strong leaders in their fields, both Purnima and Channing bring a demonstrated commitment to excellence in IFPRI research, to seeing research translate into impact, and are very dedicated to furthering diversity and inclusion.”
Purnima Menon had previously been an IFPRI senior research fellow and theme leader for South Asia Nutrition Programs in IFPRI’s Poverty, Health, and Nutrition Division. In these roles, she published more than 180 articles in top peer-reviewed journals, as well as many other publications. She also directs POSHAN (Partnerships and Opportunities to Strengthen and Harmonize Actions for Nutrition in India), an initiative to support more use of evidence for nutrition in India, and is a co-lead for the CGIAR research initiative Transforming Agrifood Systems In South Asia. She will continue to lead these programs in her new role and will remain based in New Delhi, India.
Channing Arndt has dedicated his career to the systemic transformations that underpin inclusive economic development. Prior to transitioning to Senior Director for Transformation Strategies, he directed the Environment and Production Technology Division (EPTD) at IFPRI. He has worked closely with central decision-making organs at the national level in Africa and Asia including six years of resident experience in the Ministry of Plan and Finance in Mozambique. He has an established reputation for building institutional capacity in countries and via research networks such as the African Economic Research Consortium.
The International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) provides research-based policy solutions to sustainably reduce poverty and end hunger and malnutrition in developing countries.
